


The Winning Numbers

by Krysella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23733031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krysella/pseuds/Krysella
Summary: A "Timey wimey" fanfiction about a meeting that could not happen on the show - without trying to overwrite canon (or so I hope ^^)
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Donna Noble looked back one last time at the gaudy faire on the planet Dinipotos.... (Denipitus?) before she would follow the Doctor into the TARDIS. A large variety of aliens were having fun together, sometimes at each other's expense - sometimes at her own...

"That's impossible to hit!" she told the Doctor not so long ago.

They were hanging out at a stand where you were supposed to throw a marble sized ball into a pipe that was barely bigger.

The man in the suit was eying the game, measuring.

"Not impossible just a bit unlikely," she heard the time lord say and not for the first time. It was his usual response when trying to have her accept his out of her planet things, "...well, except if you are me."

The one thing that was even more incredible than the Doctor's skills was his ego. So whenever the universe was not about to end for good Donna would gladly try to swipe that smug smile off his face.

"Hah, I bet even you couldn't do it!"

"Donna..." the Doctor hissed, the tone of his voice turning to a warning from playful, but she continued.

"I bet in those duds" she gestured towards a tentacled juggler who was wearing a rather flagrant outfit even in comparison to the rest - supposedly for the show.

His coat was half yellow, half red, the left sleeve was missing. He had purple pants with green dots, and a headband with googly eyes on top. The string on his neck had something looking like a hairy worm for an ornament. His juggler clubs looked like double ended spoons.

"Donna..." the Doctor said with an uneasy smile.

"What?"

"You remember the planet's truth field, right?"

"Yeah... But we've left that part, haven't we?"

"Yep," he nodded, "we're in the gambling field now and you've just said the word..."

Donna realized a crowd was gathering around them. The blue skinned alien running the stand handed the ball to the Doctor and watched eagerly through his giant pupils. The time lord glanced at his companion apologetically... But still had the nerve to hit the bull's eye.

People cheered and stared at Donna expectantly.

"What? They can't really think that I'll..." before she could even finish she found herself wearing a garb looking exactly like the juggler, with one of the "spoons" in her hand. The performer sent a thumbs up her way. The rest scattered chuckling.

The Doctor looked at Donna with a face of innocence.

"Oi! You could have warned me about this, Spaceman!" she reprimanded.

"Come on, it's not that bad. I had a similar coat! Well... Maybe not this extreme... Well... It was quite low-key in comparison..."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?!"

"No, no, no, not at all! .... Well... a teeny... tiny bit...?"

"If this thing here" she pointed at the ornament in her neck "starts moving, you'll be sorry!"

The Doctor let a snicker slip. Donna ended up smiling herself and they both burst out laughing.

"Come on" he said eventually "you can change in the TARDIS."

After mentally saying goodbye to the strange planet Donna turned towards the blue box.

Suddenly her stomach started churning. Had to be all those kronkburgers, she thought. It may be a perfect meal for the strange system of the Doctor but for an earthling perhaps not so much... Hunched while keeping a hand on her stomach she grabbed the handle.

For a glance she wondered why the Doctor would even close the door right in front of her, but she did not give it a second thought. She stepped in, just hoping she would feel better inside.

And her stomach did feel better, but she got a whole new set of problems to be bothered by.

She closed the door mechanically trying to grasp what she was looking at.

First off, there was a plastic leg on the console with all kinds of cables attached to it, leading back into the engine itself.

The control room looked different. Many of the "round things" – as the Doctor called them –weren't lit, and the walls themselves had a different, lighter hue. The whole ship felt different from the one she left not that long ago.

And as if that wasn't enough, one of the panels from the floor was missing. In the gaping hole under lay a stranger, meddling with the console...

"What's going on here?" Donna exclaimed once the initial shock lifted.

"What the..." the man in the leather jacket was going to look up but bumped his head into the inner panel instead.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? What have you done with the console?" she insisted while the stranger slowly emerged grumbling.

"I knew I forgot to lock the door!" he exclaimed eventually and walked towards Donna.

"I understand this is an incredible experience for you," he said while pushing her towards the door, "but now you'll go home to have your beans on toast and not speak about this to anyone, all right? Ta'!"

*THUD*

The door closed shut behind her.

Donna needed a few seconds to try and wrap her head around what's just happened.

She was following the Doctor right behind... He did make it inside a few seconds before her, but where was he now, where he could have even gone in such a short time? Furthermore who is the man inside??

The absurdity of the situation was not easened by the fact that outside instead of the faire she was greeted by the River Thames.


	2. Chapter 2

Although she could not grasp any of this, she was sure of one thing: she had to go back.

She gathered herself and knocked on the door. After receiving no response at all she hammered on it until the stranger finally opened it.

"Will you knock it off?! I can't hear myself thinking in such racket! Besides, I'm not buying... "he shot a weirded out glance at her googly eyed headband "whatever it is you're selling..."

But this time Donna would not take it, she started inside making him fall back.

"Where is he? And how did we get back to London from space?! What have you done with the console? You've hijacked it, haven't you?! Who are you, some FBI agent wanting to see how it works?!"

The stranger gave her an odd look.

"Your fantasies are thrilling, but..." whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a slap.

"OUCH!"

He retreated shocked, putting a hand on his face in pain.

"You will answer right now! Where is the Doctor?!"

"Who?" he asked looking confused.

"You've heard me, the Doctor! You either tell me, or you'll regret it!

He eyed her up and down with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why are you looking for... the Doctor?" he asked eventually.

"Why do you think?! I'm his companion!"

He looked at her with dismay.

"He can't be this lonely..."

"Oi!" Donna raised a hand ready for another slap.

"Okay, okay," the stranger held his hands in front of him, giving up "The Doctor you're looking for – what does he look like?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know!"

"Wrong again!"

Donna sighed, but started describing the time lord as she knew him.

"Skinny as paper, he hangs around wearing a suit and sand shoes - don't ask why...

The stranger thought for a moment, when realization seemed to hit him.

"You say skinny? You're from the future?" he pondered much rather to himself than to Donna, who was running out of patience.

"Are you telling me where the Doctor is, or not?!"

"Look, the thing is..." he straightened up "I AM the Doctor."

"What??"

"I must have regenerated with my appearance changing and you must have met my future self with the new looks."

That caught Donna off-guard.

She had heard quite a few fake answers before, on her travels with the Doctor, but she was not expecting anything like this. She burst out laughing.

"That's what you're going with? Sure you could have made up something more believable..."

The stranger however waited her to finish without a wince.

"You take me for an idiot!" she snapped.

"Clearly. But that's rather beside the point," he shot back.

"But what do you even mean by this 'regeneration'?! It's impossible!"

"Not impossible just a bit unlikely... for a human, anyway."

The familiar words made her pause.

"All right, if you are the Doctor," she crossed her arms in disbelief, "where's your companion?"

Even though at the Christmas she had first met him the time lord was alone, since then Donna had learnt that he usually had someone with him.

"Nowhere!" the man in leather jacket snapped. "I travel alone."

"Why?"

"You're asking why? Have you heard yourself talk?"

"Oi! Then... say something only the Doctor knows!"

"NOW you've narrowed it down..."

"Just improvise!"  
  


"All right," the stranger leaped to the console and started pushing the buttons.

"I doubt any FBI agent could do this!" he grinned while pulling a lever and crossed his arms triumphantly.

They were standing there silently for seconds, but nothing else seemed to happen. The "Doctor's" smile froze.

"Come on!" he nagged at the machine, and stepped to the console again, running around to push, pull and spin all kinds of switches and reels while glancing up at the tube in the middle, but it just would not respond to anything.

Donna started laughing once again.

"Not funny!" the stranger complained.

"Oh, I think it's quite hilarious!" she shot back while he kept trying.

Eventually the TARDIS did budge.

Donna had to grab the handrail, so she could keep her balance.

The console made a sinister sound, but the stranger did not seem to be bothered, he smiled satisfied.

"Finally!"

He kept pushing the buttons, until the time ship stopped whilst making torturous noises.

Donna ran to the window which gave her the view of the Eiffel tower.

"You've brought me to Paris..." she turned to the stranger.

"You're welcome!" he noted cynically "If you're such a seasoned traveller, go ahead and see the sights while I deal with this time anomaly here, so we can forget about all of this. Go on!" he said while making shooing gestures "Don't make me turn off the artificial gravity and literally drop you out, because that can be quite unpleasant!" he warned with rather fake pity. That was the last drop.

"Listen you insolent imposter, or whoever you are" she said while walking towards the console "I don't know what time... thing you're talking about, but I understand that my best friend is in trouble! If you think I'd put his life in the hands of some... trial version..."

"Excuse me?!" he sulked.

"...well then you are completely WRONG!"

They gazed at each other in the eye for seconds, then the "Doctor" sighed.

"Fine! But I'm warning you, I'm not slowing down for anyone!"

"Good, neither do I! I'm going to change right now!"

"Oh are you? Try not doing it in the dark this time!"

"If you must know, I went to Denopitus with the _**Doctor,**_ " she emphasized the name mockingly, „and I... lost a bet."

"Deponitus."

„That's what I said!"

He sighed.

„The wardrobe is..."

„I know where the wardrobe is!"

She returned shortly wearing a trouser suit and put the alien garb on the handrail.

"You're keeping the spoon?" the stranger asked appalled.

"Yeah. In case you try something funny."

They both went silent, annoyed. The stranger walked to the other side of the console to look at the screen there.

"What's your name then?" he asked eventually.

"Donna. Donna Noble."

"Right. Still shorter than 'Pain in the Neck'."

"Oi! You think I'd be afraid to use this spoon?"

"What I don't understand though," he reached in his inner pocket making Donna lift her spoon. He rolled his eyes.

"Sonic screwdriver. If you know _**the Doctor**_ so well" he scoffed, "you have to have seen it before," he said slowly producing the tool which unlike its owner looked exactly like what Donna has known.

The "Doctor" turned the gadget on and started waving it around her.

"Ugh, I hate it when he does that," she grumbled but he didn't seem to be bothered.

"... how did you travel through both time and space, especially without noticing?"

Whatever he was looking for he did not seem to be finding it. Once he finished he looked at her.

"You haven't bumped into angel statues, have you?"

"Into what?? I was just following the Doctor into the TARDIS and then found you here instead, out of the blue. Although," she paused "I had this sudden sick feeling before making it inside..."

"Right! So whatever got you here, must have happened in that moment!" he declared excited. "Too bad we can't go back to see what it was."

"Why not?"

"The TARDIS is disoriented by the time anomaly," he explained while sonicing the piece of plastic again, "she won't travel in time just in space. Not to mention I'd rather not bump into my future self to complicate things even further..."

"Wait a minute... If my present is your future," she pondered "does that mean I may endanger the time line by saying things you shouldn't know?"

"Judging by the type of the time anomaly we are going to forget all of this anyway. We should..." he added.

"You're not sure then? _**The Doctor**_ would know!"

He glared at her.

"There are millions of types of time anomalies out there, I need to know what's causing this one first. But you know what, you're right. Let's not take any chances - shut up!"  
  


Donna was about to retort but curiousity got the best of her this time. He watched the "Doctor" sonicing the leg and then rearranging the cables on it. He pushed some buttons checking the screen every now and then, thinking.

"What the hell are you doing?" she stepped next to him.

"Relax, it's not human," he said without looking at her.

"Yeah I can see THAT! But what do you want with it?"

The "time lord" gave her a skeptic look, but then responded.

"I'm looking for the Nestene conscience. A leg is too simple to find the source... I'd need a head. But the rest went down in the Thames sadly. I was not expecting autons here right after returning from the Titanic..."

"What, again??" she blurted.

"Again?!" he asked making Donna cover her mouth with a hand.

"Sorry."

"Right..." he continued after shooting her a withering glance "living plastic that can disguise themselves as everyday items on Earth and have quite a craving for your planet.

"Disguise as everyday items? But Earth has tons of plastic!" she gasped.

"You're from the future..." he pondered "Shouldn't you remember living plastic?"

Suddenly Donna was reminded of an all too similar conversation with the real Doctor...

"Well, I do remember!" she snapped "You just told me to shut up!"

He sneered, but continued.

"But that's right. There are tons of plastic on Earth. So the question is why wouldn't they start a full-blown attack yet with a potential army this large?"

"Why?"

"They are hindered by the time anomaly someway. At least that's the theory. Looks like we are going to have a bigger issue first than some mannequins running amok."

"So let me get this straight... First we need to save the world from this time... whatsit and then from that... conscious thing?"

"Something like that, yeah. Fantastic, isn't it?"

Not quite the description Donna had in mind, and the genuine looking, a bit too enthusiastic smile on the stranger's face troubled her quite a bit.

"Not to mention," he continued, "the leg is steeped in the same type of energy as you are."

"Wait... What kind of energy??"

"Relax, none of it remains once I fix things. I just need to figure out where the leg is from..."

"What year are we in?"

"2005," the "Doctor" sighed.

"Isn't this from a mall in Regent street?" she asked earning a skeptical look.

"I had been looking for the Doctor one time, tried to guess from unusual events. And this mall..."

Was blown up... she added but only in thought.

The stranger reached in his pocket as if checking something.

"That was you?" she asked shocked.

"I wouldn't know, would I?" he snapped and Donna wasn't sure whether to be disturbed by him guessing her thought right or that she may have endangered the timeline again. Or that the stranger may be running around carrying a bomb...

"Let's take a look at that mall then" he said, starting the TARDIS.  
  


The time ship was shaking to the core, the cloister bell would not cease its alarm, even the „round things" shone in a sinister red light. Donna had to grab the handrail once more. It did not help that it was the second time her stomach was given the works.

She had had a few bumpy rides with the Doctor, but this mouthy bloke managed to top all of them.

"Has anyone told you you're an awful pilot?"

"It's because of the time anomaly!" he replied clearly insulted while running around the console pushing buttons and moving leavers, "It's still growing! The energy flux is driving the console crazy!"

The "Doctor" grabbed a hammer to strike down on the machine. The TARDIS instantly made her disapproval clear with a huge jolt.

It was a miracle that the stranger could even stay on his feet, Donna had to admit.

"I hope it's not that huon energy," she muttered.

"What?" he looked at her questioningly "No, but how do you..."

The time ship performed the greatest lurch so far and then came to a halt.

"Good job old gal," he patted on the console delighted.

"Are we there?" was all her stirring stomach allowed Donna to say.

"This is the closest I can go. We have to find the energy source..." the "time lord" started a very scientific explanation but Donna didn't quite get every word. The world was spinning around her and she felt she needed fresh air immediately. She swung open the door and ran out. She could not hear the Doctor shouting after her "DONNA!"


	3. Chapter 3

Shouldn't be too hard to find a secluded street, after all it was night, she thought.

She ran into an alley but then she had to halt. A mannequin stood in the back, abandoned.

Donna watched numbly as it turned, reaching towards her. The top phalanges turned downward like some kind of lids...

„Get down!" the „Doctor" shouted, and pulled her on the ground. The auton's shot missed.

The „time lord" quickly grabbed the sonic screwdriver and turned it on facing their opponent. The mannequin was ready to shoot again... but instead it just vanished.

„How did you do that then?" Donna asked astounded.

„Easy!" the „Doctor" played around with the button of the screwdriver in front of her as if he were some sales agent with sassy grin on his face „But the mannequin was not supposed to disappear..."

„Should have known!"

The stranger payed no heed to the remark. He walked where their opponent had just stood to sonic it.

„Hmm... No trace of teleportation," he pondered while making his way back, „No perception filter..."

Meanwhile behind him another figure started taking form.

„I wonder where it went? Last time I checked plastic couldn't sublime..."

„Hey, Big-Ears!" Donna pointed behind him.

The „Doctor" suddenly put his hands on his ears.

„What? Again??"

The shape in the back was looking more and more like the auton that had just attacked them.

„Just look!" Donna demanded finally making the „time lord" turn around.

The mannequin was staring at them with its full might.

The „Doctor" held up the sonic to disarm the creature, but he barely turned it on, the figure disappeared.

„Fantastic!" he declared amazed „But I hate repeating myself let's go before a third one comes!"  
..

On the way to the mall Donna had a strange feeling.

From the corner of her eye she caught glimpses of other people on the street; two women chuckling from one direction, a dog walker form another, a new mannequin in a third spot. But whenever she tried to look at them directly, they were gone in an instant, as if they had never even been there. An electronic bulletin board that was supposed to broadcast news was flickering incoherently but always returned to the date 4th of February, 2005.

„You're feeling it too?" the „Doctor's" voice brought her back to the present.

„What do you mean?"

„The distortion. The original and the modified timelines are both trying to happen at once."

„Is it because of the time gizmo?"

„Yeah. But you shouldn't see it as a human."

„Didn't think seeing was a special spaceman skill," she said mockingly but he didn't react, aside from looking troubled.

„Come on," he settled it eventually.  
...

The mall must have been closed for hours. The „time lord" soniced one of the emergency exits to open it.

The lights on the neglected corridor were on, yet the „Doctor" held the sonic like some kind of torch while advancing. The light of the screwdriver would go out every now and then, the stranger would pat on it to get it working again.

„I need to build a better detector for this," he muttered.

Donna still saw or rather just felt the phantoms around them but there was no time for gaping. When the „time lord" said he was not slowing down for anyone he wasn't bluffing...

They made it to a stairway where he stopped. He held the sonic towards both the case leading upwards and downwards.

„The signal splits," he said.

„What are we looking for again?" Donna asked once she caught her breath.

„Anything unusual."

The terrified scream of a man pierced through the air, coming from the basement.

„That'll do!" he smiled and made his way downwards.  
  


At the bottom of the staircase however they saw no one.

„Hello! Where are you?" the „Doctor" shouted. No answer came.

With the use of the sonic they moved forward.

„Is anybody there?" Donna cried out.

The silence was broken by an eerie laughter. Its source would have been impossible to determine.

„Struck by lightning 5 times..." the corridor echoed.

„We're here to help! Where are you?" the „Doctor" asked.

The screwdriver's buzzing suddenly got stronger in front of a blue door.

The nameplate on it said „31. H.P. Wilson" and there was a sign under it, warning about electricity.

The „Doctor" reached for the handle.

„Wait!" Donna grabbed his hand, „What if this is what the voice meant?"

He gave it a thought but then shrugged.

„5 lightning strikes... Survived worse."

„Really??" she let go with a shudder.

„Mondas is no leisure planet..."

He grabbed the handle. Nothing happened. He grinned at Donna with confidence and opened the door.  
  


The room turned out to be more spacious than she had expected.

The lights were on here as well. A desk stood on their left. Aside from a computer it was covered with sheets of paper filled with scribbles on them. The pen that lay on the top of the stack had its nib out.

In the front electric cabinets reached from bottom to top. One of them at eye-level was open. The „Doctor" moved in front of it to peer at the cables.

„Hm.... That's weird..."

„Who are you??"

The voice made them both turn around.

A man in his mid 30-s stared at them wearing overalls and holding a steaming cup. Donna found herself feeling thankful for coming across a real person for a change.

„This is private property, you can't come in here!" the shaky voice tried to toughen up himself.

„Of course we can!" the „Doctor" produced the psychic paper merrily.

The newcomer walked closer to read it.

„FBI?"

The „time lord" was about to object, but no word made it out eventually.

He looked at Donna, who was trying her best to hold back a laughter.

„Oh, shut up!"  
  


The man in overalls lightened up, but for entirely different reasons.

„Oh, like Mulder and Scully!"

Donna sighed.

„Seriously, with him too?" she pointed at the figure in the leather jacket.

If the newcomer got any of the interlude he did not show.

„H. P. Wilson, chief engineer," he held his hand out.

Donna expected to be introduced with a „witty" remark but the „time lord" looked rather sincere all of the sudden.

He shook his hand eventually.

„I'm the Doctor, this is Donna."

„Have you come because of the blackouts? They are caused by aliens, right? I knew it!"

„You have seen aliens?" Donna asked perplexed.

„No, not real ones," the engineer admitted, while turning to the cabinet, „but what else could be causing the interference? A whole level goes dark out of the blue and then lit up again, as if nothing happened!" he sighed.   
„23 grand is not worth this... Should have played the lottery."

Donna smiled with sympathy but the „time lord" remained sincere.

„You could try not just turning the one circuit off and on again," he noted.

Only then did Donna notice the slow, mechanical movements of the engineer.

"No, I..." Wilson muttered unsurely, but without looking back he continued his redundant procedure... then he stopped, his knees buckling under him.

The "Doctor" caught him in his fall letting him down on the ground.

After a few glances he declared:

"Dead."

"What?!" Donna exclaimed, "How?"

"3... 2... 1..." the "Doctor" counted when Wilson simply vanished.

"Where did he go then??" she asked confused.

"I think he was never even meant to be here."

"Like the mannequins?"   
  


They heard a curse, followed by the sound of something leaking.

They glanced at each other and made their way back to the corridor.

A man in a torn outfit stood there, holding a huge metal container. In front of him lots of mannequins lay on the ground. He turned around, aiming the pipe of the container at the "Doctor".

Donna gasped when he saw the man's face... it was Wilson.

He looked sweaty and carried a wound on his forehead, but nothing about him indicated that he was supposed to be dead.

"Fire extinguisher!" the Doctor smiled "Blocks thought control, for a while at least. Fantastic!"

Wilson thrusted the pipe forward menacingly, making the time lord put his hands up.

"Fine, I was going to say we mean you no harm."

"Who are you??"

Donna had tons of questions, but picked the most urgent one.

"How come he doesn't remember us?" he whispered while putting her hands up unsurely.

"Because _**he**_ has never met us."

That response didn't help much, but Wilson spoke next.

„The mannequins are alive," he noted hazily.

"Yeah, I know this is why we're here," the Doctor remembered the "magic word" that had broken the ice once.

"FBI," he added rolling his eyes.

Wilson smiled this time too, and let the fire extinguisher down.

„Like Mulder..."

„...and Scully, yeah just like them..."

„Deja vu," Donna muttered.  
  


„That's it! The best model for what's happening here!" the Doctor cheered to a confused Donna, and explained.

„The universe is trying to fix the distortion of the timeline. If it works, the damage leaves only obscure afterimages in the mind - the deja vu. If it doesn't," his enthusiasm seemed to diminish at this point, „and it won't until the time anomaly is still growing, then you get stuck with," he looked at Wilson sincerely, „time clones".

The man in the overalls peered at each of them.

"Time clones?? What are you talking about?" he stepped back unsurely "I'm not some kind of clone!"

"I'm afraid you are."

"But doesn't that mean," Donna asked "somewhere there is a real Wilson and saving him will save you?" She tried to sound comforting even though she wasn't sure she quite got the situation.

"Question is," the Doctor responded, while looking at Wilson "what you remember."  
  


"What do you mean what I remember?!" he snapped "Everything! I was on my way home from work when Rose and the others..."

Donna caught the familiar name.

"Wait... You said Rose?"

"One of the shop assistants," he said with a slight smile.

"Do you know today's date?" the Doctor interrupted, to Donna's surprise, completely indifferently.

"Of course I do!" Wilson retorted.   
"It's the 4th of March."

"4th of Feburary," Donna corrected him.

"Please, I think I know the day I die!" the engineer snarled but immediately put a hand on his mouth.

"How can I remember that... I'm here...." he mumbled.

"Time clones often get the memories of the original and distorted timelines mixed up," the time lord was about to start another scientific explanation, but Donna noticed movement in the back. More mannequins were coming...

"...just like their personalities are just fragments of..."

"Doctor," she patted him on the arm.

The time lord's eyes brightened up with joy.

"What did you call me?"

"Doctor!" she pointed behind Wilson, the mannequins being only a few feet away.

The engineer lifted the fire extinguisher and let the contents loose on the ones in the front, making them fall on the ground. In the back tons of others were approaching.

Wilson continued, but the button on his device soon clicked emptily.

"Right, time for plan B. Run!" the Doctor exclaimed and grabbing Donna's hand they started for the other end of the corridor. Wilson threw the container and followed.  
  


They almost made it to the stairs, when they had to halt. Lots of autons were on their way from that direction as well.

Wilson flung open a door leading to a side corridor.

"Quick, in here!"

There was an elevator in the back. Once there the Doctor smacked the buttons right away.

Donna looked back at Wilson who dropped behind. The mannequins almost reached him.

"Just go!" the engineer yelled.

"What?!"

In the meantime the door opened, and the Doctor dragged her into the cabin.

"Wait, we can't leave..." she argued but as she glanced back, both Wilson and the mannequins were gone.

She looked at the time lord astonished. He just pushed the button "2" closing the door.  
  


They had been standing there quietly for a while when finally he spoke.

"So... I'm the Doctor now?" he asked with a satisfied smile.

"You'll do," she teased.

"Glad I beat the FBI in brains."

"Yeah... but mostly in all this running around..."

The Doctor's smile dimmed.

"I see..."  
  


As they left the elevator, he grabbed the sonic again.

"Hm... seems like the signal splits once more," he muttered, but then started on the corridor that, judging by the simple looks, was meant to be used the staff only.

Donna's mind was elsewhere.

"You don't know Rose?"

"Nope," he said without stopping, "Should I?"

"I don't know... it's weird that this of all names would pop up..."

"Why would it be weird?"

"Your... future self," she said carefully, trying to avoid anything too direct, "spoke about a friend called Rose..."

"Great... More companions?" he snapped, "I'll become careless again in my old age?"

"You mean wise," she noted.

The Doctor glared at her, letting go of the button on the screwdriver.

"When you turned up in the TARDIS, my TARDIS, you weren't looking for any Rose, just someone. So I suppose you don't know her."

"No..."

"That begs the question: is that just a coincidence... or did my future self end up getting her in some kind of a trouble he could not get her out of."

The future Doctor had rarely spoken about Rose, but in that moment Donna felt like the few memories she had started diminishing. She tried remembering the words but in the last moment they seemed to slip out of her grasp.

But she did have the remnant feeling that the adventures did not end happily for either of them.

"I.. can't say anything," she replied eventually.

"You've said it all."

He turned away to follow the signal.

"Doesn't mean you should be alone!" Donna insisted and then followed.

If the time lord had heard the remark, he did not show.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (( feedback would be welcome ^^ ))

The sonic screwdriver led them into the shopping area.

„Wait!" the Doctor warned.

A few feet away a mannequin stood, not much further another one, on the next tier another one... Donna counted at least a dozen just from the doorway.

She held her breath while the time lord peered at all of them. They did not move though.

Finally he followed the sonic inside. Donna walked in after him while the sales advertisements caught her eye, to be more precise, the numbers on them. They promoted a 47%, 59% percent off. While they sounded like great purchases she had an odd feeling about them.

„These numbers are weird," she noted.

„What?"

„The giveaway is too big and none of them are rounded numbers, they seem so... random."

The Doctor glanced at the signs but then he shrugged.

"Never cared for sales."

The third sign Donna saw however had the number 1 on it. If the previous ones looked weird, this one made no sense at all, she thought, but then with a shock she noticed the Doctor remove the top of a trash can to reach deep inside it...

"What are you doing?!"

"The signal is strong here," he said unbothered.

Eventually he lifted a stack of lottery tickets that was driving the screwdriver nuts.

„Hold on... 1, 47, 59... 23, 31... Doctor!" In her realization she hit him on the arm much to the time lord's dismay. „These are lottery numbers!"

"What?"

"This is a usual combination, my grandad also plays it!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"I'm good with numbers!" Donna smiled. "But the number 5 doesn't fit..."

"Hm... 5 lightning strikes, was it?" the time lord pondered.  
"That's just simple math. Statistically you have a smaller chance to win the lottery than being struck by lightning 5 times."

"Oh," Donna replied disappointed, "not telling Gran that."

"These tickets are blank though," the Doctor pointed out.

"So someone did not play the numbers, when they were supposed to win the grand prize? This is what's causing the time... tangle?" she wondered.

The Doctor smiled.

"Not a bad idea."

"Is that it?"

"Doubt it. That would be too direct," he explained while putting the pieces of paper in his pocket, and followed the sonic to a counter.

"Why risk such a dramatic change when you can overwrite history by stepping on a butterfly... or turning someone in the wrong direction," he added absentminded while pulling the drawers.

"You think someone's behind... this?" Donna asked with a shaky voice because of noticing movement near the time lord. She started towards him.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah. Time anomalies are usually the results of meddling with something you shouldn't."  
  


The Doctor picked up a photo from one of the drawers. A man in his late 20-s smiled at him from the picture. The sonic made a clear sign of a changed timeline.

Donna gasped once getting closer. The time lord had a black bug crawling on his back, the size of her palm. The creature stopped just under his neck.

The Doctor kept rummaging through the unfamiliar stuff. Aside from the photo he found a nametag that had the screwdriver buzz so much it almost made his hand tremble. The name was 'Rose Tyler'...

Donna grabbed the spoon that she had been carrying in her belt, and struck down the creature... and the Doctor's back.

"OUCH!" he yelled, "I thought you were over the "imposter" thing!" he snapped.

"You're welcome, Lord "I'm the only one who can see!' " she retorted, "By the way, there was a giant bug on your back!"

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows.

"Bug??"

"There it is!" she pointed at the escaping animal.

The time lord aimed the sonic at the creature. The black carapace threw off some sparks then the bug fell on its back.

The Doctor looked at Donna who crossed her arms but then said nothing.

He picked the bug up to examine it.

"What sort of creature is this?" she asked disgusted.

"The time beetle is a fantastic being that can attach itself on its victim and change their decisions and fate then feed on the potential of the unhappened events," he responded with enthusiasm.

"This thing," he continued degrading, "is just a cheap copy. Someone must have liked the idea and tried to mechanize it," he pointed to the metal sheet with tiny discs on it on the abdomen, "so they could control it."

"But before making any more guesses," he soniced the creature, which made its legs wiggle again, "let's see where it's from. Ready for some more running?" he held out a hand.

"There is no way around that, is there?" Donna smiled, but took it.

The time lord put the beetle back on the ground. It immediately tried to escape but they followed.  
  


The beetle led them out of the shopping area back to the service corridor. They took both left and right turns when the small gizmo finally stopped at a staircase.

"Hah, now what?" Donna asked smugly.

But the beetle pulled its legs under it and with the small discs below it simply lifted itself into the air and flew upwards.

"Oh, that's cheating!"

The Doctor responded only with a grin, and they both followed upstairs.  
  


On the top level the beetle continued its spiral flight, till they made it to the final corridor, with a door in the other end. The thin creature descended back to the ground and slid inside through the gap under the door.

The lock would not open, so the Doctor soniced it.

"Right, let's see what's behind door number 2..."

He looked as excited as a kid who was ready to find out what he got for Christmas, and the feeling quickly spread to Donna as well.

He opened the door. The time lord gazed inside with amazement.

"Fantastic!"

"What is it? I see nothing!"

He fished out a flash light from his pocket and handed it to Donna.

As she shed light on the room, Donna gasped but not quite because of awe.  
  


Millions of cables twined around the entire room. The jungle of cords were intermitted by holes here and there, most of them had beetles crawling in or out.

"Looks like a giant lair!" Donna noted.

"That's exactly what it is. Technology and nature combined! Too bad we have to mess it up," he regretted.

"A single time beetle doesn't cause this much trouble usually," he said while flicking one from his sleeve, "the universe can compensate. But tinkering made them too powerful. See those holes? They are not dens – they all lead to other time anomalies. And they are growing in numbers. This is what the TARDIS sensed".

The Doctor pointed to the side where two beetles were building a third one with the help of antennae.

"Mini mechanicians. But there must be somewhere they're getting the initial command prompt from," he explained while he had to keep sweeping the bugs off of his jacket, "There's the transmitter!" he pointed to the other end of the lair. The gadget almost looked like a tennis racket, if its middle was entwined with green energy.

"One problem though," he added while getting rid of another beetle, "my long life makes me a real delicacy here."

"Oh, that's why they are not pestering me?" she asked while clearly being avoided by the bugs.

"Donna..."

"I'm not special."

"Hey, I've said no such thing!"

"You don't understand, Spaceman. Just do whatever you need to do," she said while thrusting her spoon towards a beetle that was aiming the Doctor's head. Making the beetle elude the time lord in a large radius. "I'll defend you!"

The Doctor glanced at the swarming lair and back at her, then sighed.

"We'd better forget THIS later!"  
  


They made their way inside. The bugs kept flying around them, but they still kept a safe distance from Donna. She easily flung her spoon around banishing any that would approach too close.

"I wish getting rid of the spiders was this easy."

Eventually they reached the transmitter.

"Right, before I shut you down, let's see where you're getting the signal from," the Doctor muttered, sonicing the tiny gadget. Once done, he turned to the lair itself.

Meanwhile Donna was chasing away the beetles around him. From the corner of her eye she saw him hastily disrupting some of the cables and connecting other ones in the tangly web.

„Their numbers are increasing!"

„That means I'm doing well!" the Doctor grinned and leaped to the side to continue. Donna followed.

Then the flashlight started flickering. The beetles were retreating, but Donna saw another figure in the dim light. It was tall and motionless. Its hands were covering the face and on the back it had... wings?

"Doctor?" she said questioning. The time lord turned around.

"Oh, of course!" he slapped his forehead.  
"Why would the beetles summon any other time clones than the one that they can control the best? They work similarly!"

"What do you mean?"

"They all feed on the energy of unhappened events! Donna, don't blink!" he said and turned back to the cables.

"What?" she glanced at the time lord and that was enough for the "statue" to get closer. He had removed his hands by then and his face bespoke of savagery.

"The weeping angels can only move if they are not watched by anyone. So don't blink! I'm almost done here."

"What if it makes it here??"

"You'll be sent back to the past. It's relatively harmless, only I won't be able to pick you up from the middle of a time anomaly!"

Donna watched the creature tensely.

"All right, if I managed to keep my pen in the office for years, I can keep an eye on a statue!"

When the Doctor moved away from behind her again, the flashlight flickered. Once the light stabilized, the angel was turned towards the time lord.

"Hey! Don't you dare turning your back on me!" Donna snapped at the statue and moved between it and the Doctor.

The time lord looked up.

"Wait, what did you say?"

"Doesn't matter, hurry!"

"Yeah, it does! About your eye, singular! Fantastic! Donna, wink!"

"What... Oh!"

Both of her eyelids were getting heavier by the second. Donna needed all her strength so she would only rest just one of them at a time, but she made it eventually.

"It's working!" she exclaimed happily. "But hurry, this is still exhausting! Besides he might get the wrong idea..."

In that moment a soft pop could be heard. Electric charges raced along the tangled cords, like sparklers.

The angel vanished, and hundreds of beetles started falling from the ceiling. The two travellers pulled straight to the wall.

"You've done it!" Donna cheered.

"No," the Doctor corrected her earning a questioning look " _ **We**_ have done it!" he smiled.

Once it looked safe the Doctor and Donna left the building for the TARDIS.

"Now what?"

"Time to speak with whoever got this party started," he replied and inserted the sonic screwdriver into the console.

„Hang on!" he warned starting the machine.

Donna grabbed the handrail expecting another bumpy ride. It was no easier than before, aside from the fact that both of them were prepared this time.

Eventually the TARDIS stopped, but the cloister bell continued its chime muffled, as if sulking.

The time lord stepped to the door, but before opening it he looked at his companion.

"Donna, whoever is out there, they are responsible for a time anomaly the size of the wole world... Sure you want to come?"

"You can't get rid of me that easy, you should have figured that out by now, Spaceman," she teased.

"Allons-y?" she asked excited.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"What an unexpected thing to say," he pondered while Donna's smile froze, "not bad..."

"Never mind, French is overrated. Open that door instead the bad guys await!" she urged him.

Outside their feet met with the dark floor of an arched corridor. The windowless walls were made of metal sheets, all the light was artificial.

"No, it's impossible!" the Doctor exclaimed once he looked around.

He instantly reached into his pocket, but glancing at his companion he removed his hand, empty.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (( feedback would be welcome ^^ ))

"Where are we?" she asked.

"On a spaceship."

"What kind of spaceship?"

Suddenly the whole floor seemed to vanish with only a narrow bridge remaining in the middle. Donna gasped as she saw outer space right under her feet...

"We're in the epicentre of the time anomalies," the time lord walked towards her releaxed, on seemingly nothing. They are going to tear the whole ship apart. The shield of the TARDIS will protect us though. Within a certain range, anyway. Here's something really troubling though..."

With the initial shock lifting Donna took a look at their changed surroundings. A flute, a cane, a banana and all kinds of seemingly random items lay around them.

"Everything you see here is from my own timeline. Someone messed with that," the Doctor noted annoyed.

Taking courage Donna made a step forward. Though it seemed like she could fall any moment it felt like she was walking on solid ground. Confidence growing, she started paying attention to the tools around them; some of them were everyday items, others looked like the result of tinkering with the former.

"You're saying all of this is yours?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"What, even this?" she lifted a red fez skeptically.

The Doctor eyed the hat for seconds before replying.

"Suppose so..."

"It's far from your future then, isn't it? It would never fit the whole 'brooding time lord style," she teased and flipped the fez away.

The Doctor looked over himself.

"I didn't use to be like that. Am I like that now?" he pondered.

He pointed at the bridge that took the place of the floor but didn't resemble the ship at all – it was covered with colourful stripes.

"I used to have a long scarf in that pattern."

"What happened to it?"

"Well you can't wear the same outfit forever," he shrugged.

"Right..."

"Besides," he added "it would have been completely impractical in..."

"Ah, there it is." Donna smirked.

"Oh shut up!" he crossed his arms.

"Now I know where that is coming from."

The Doctor turned away, rolling his eyes.

He spotted a small cylindrical tool. A sonic screwdriver.

He immediately picked it up, but before slipping it into his pocket, he gave it a closer look. It was grey with layers of a golden colour on two spots. But the most unusual thing about it was the ring on its side. Despite of that, it was light and dainty, he thought flipping it in the air a few times.

Eventually he turned it on.

To much of his surprise instead of the usual colourful beam of light a hologram appeared, the form of a woman with very curly hair.

The hologram herself looked no less taken aback but her astonishment soon turned into a warm smile.

„Hello, Sweetie!" she said gently touching the Doctor's face.

„Oh, I've missed these ears," she noted mischievously.

The uninvited intimacy should have upsetted him, but the Doctor found himself at ease, as tranquil as he had not felt for an awfully long time.

He was rarely lost for words, but he could not utter any in that moment, despite of being full of questions.

He kept pressing the button of the screwdriver convulsively.

"...Who are you?" he managed eventually.

The hologram only replied:

"Spoilers!" and though she still appeared to be smiling her eyes grew heavy with grief.

Then the hologram looked up and suddenly pulled her hand away, her face worried.

"Behind you!" she warned, and the Doctor glanced back without hesitation.

In front of the TARDIS a new from was starting to appear. It had broad shoulders and a stooped posture resembling no human, nor another mannequin...

"Doctor..." Donna whispered, moving closer to him.

The time lord took one last glance back, but the woman with the curly hair vanished and would not come back despite of him trying the screwdriver several times.

A mystery for the future... he acknowledged resigned and turned towards the much more urgent problem.

The newcomer growled at them in its full might. It had a beastial face, sharp claws and a body covered in fur. The Doctor's eyes shone with excitement again once he realized what they had encountered.

"A real life werewolf! Fantastic, isn't it?" he cheered and raised his hands while approaching the creature. "We mean you no harm."

The werewolf did not return the gesture. It kept snarling flashing needle sharp teeth.

"I think **_it_** means **_us_** harm!" Donna noted.

"Why does it always have to be like that?!" the Doctor lamented and reached into his pocket.

"But would you rather choose stringy time lord meat..."

He didn't seem to find what he had been looking for, but spotted a small sack.

"Ooor instead, " he carefully lifted the pouch and tore it open, "would you like a jelly baby?"

He threw the sack towards the creature making sure its contents were scattered all over the place. The werewolf made a bolt for the candy.

"That won't hold him for long... Run!" he grabbed Donna's hand and they rushed down the corridor.

The ship made such a jolt forward that Donna almost tripped. Suddenly their surroundings seemed to change into a meadow.

"Where are we now?" Donna asked.

"Still on the ship," the Doctor replied, "but because of the time anomaly now it looks like..."

The wind ruffled the waves of a large pool of water in front of them. Far beyond the skyscrapers of a city were reaching high, looking futuristic for the 21th century eye. The fake sunlight was reflected by the metal plates of flying cars.

"Hah! Looks like New New New New..."

The Doctor's words were interrupted by a feral growl coming from behind.

"No time! Come on!"

They kept going meanwhile the meadow turned into corridor again and into the grey stone of an ancient castle. They barely had time to look around, the werewolf was snarling behind l them.

Eventually they ended up in a way too colourful place. They made it for a door looking like an exit but instead found themselves in a small room with no way out.

"It's a trap!" Donna exclaimed.

The Doctor tested the walls around them.

"Yeah. But for whom?" he asked grinning.

By the time they made it back outside the werewolf was facing them again.

"All right Benji, come and get me!" the time lord gestured.

The creature leaped towards him.

The sharp claws reached as close as mere inches when the time lord jumped out of the way.

The werewolf slammed into the wall of the small room.

Donna quickly shut the door and leaned on it.

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at the cubicle which made it shine with white light for a second then it went dark.

The time lord flipped the sonic in the air as after a job well done, and walked towards his companion, who was still holding the door.

„What? Can I let go now?"

„You never needed to hold it."

„Oh..."

Donna let go, and the time lord flung the door open.

The room was empty.

„Where did it go?" Donna asked.

„This is a transmat," the time lord explained. 

„I got it teleported somewhere else. Or would have, but the atoms of time clones are not attached well enough for such a journey."

„A teleporting gizmo?" Donna pondered while taking a look around the place covered with posters and colourful furniture, „In what looks like something of a reality show? How does that fit?"

„I don't know," he admitted. „Doesn't look like a place where I'd go willingly..."

The spaceship shook. The room vanished and they found themselves on the metal corridor again. Alarms shone around them with red light.

„Looks like they figured out we're on board. Come on!"

Donna wasn't sure where they were going now, but the alerting lights seemed to be following them everywhere.

The Doctor suddenly halted. The silhouettes of two figures approaching could be seen on the wall in front of them.

„In here!" He pulled her into a cabin on the side.

Pressing themselves against the wall they waited for the figures to rattle away with a sound of metal.

When the coast was clear they peered out.

The robots wore red coats with a white rim. The end of their hats reached curiously upwards. Even though their masks could not be seen from the back, Donna recognized them.

„Oh not these robot Santas again!"

„You've met?"

„Of course! It was the same day you..."

Their eyes met.

„Ah, never mind."

The Doctor smiled, but then a thought occurred.

„Wait a minute... That's it! I have an idea how to get to the centre of the ship! But we have to go back to the TARDIS first.

„So the robot Santas are the crew or are they clones?" Donna asked back in front of the dressing room of the TARDIS while the Doctor was searching inside.

„They are clones, meaning their recognition units are damaged. So, if you think I can't carry a different outfit anyway, time to prove that wrong."

The time lord stepped out.

"No way..." Donna exclaimed skeptically.

He was wearing a red coat and hat, alongside with a white fake beard.

"Never got to wear this outfit anyway. How do I look?" he asked, right before the beard slipped aside. Donna fixed it.

"Fine, now."

She watched with envy as he slid various gizmos into his pockets that had to be, of course, bigger on the inside.

"What should I be wearing then?" she asked eventually.

"Don't tell me I get to be the bad wolf!"

As if struck by lightning the time lord looked up. He gazed at her with unexpected sincerity.

"What?"

Donna stared at him confused.

"The thing that chased us...?"

"Oh, right, the wolf," he nodded unsurely, but for a moment he seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"Doctor?"

"No" he shook his head eyes brightened up again. "I have a much better idea! But first..."

The Doctor walked up to her watching the top of her head. Donna had no idea what he was up to. Could something have gotten stuck in her hair?

"First I'll need to see if..." the time lord said while he slowly put his index finger on her forehead.

With that the world around Donna went dark.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor carefully let his sleeping partner into a chair of the control room then made his way towards the door.

As he reached for the knob, he looked back one last time.

"I'm sorry," he said and he meant it, but of course he could not expect any response.

He started for the centre of the alien ship.

Wherever the metal sheets were still intact, he removed a device from his pocket and fastened it to the wall.  
The gizmos consisted of everyday items from toothbrush to calculator, duct taped together. Only the cords sticking out indicated that they had completely different purposes from their regular ones. The ability of building weapons from just about anything was a remnant of the Time War.

He had just finished fixing another device and turned to keep going only to find a robot Santa standing in his way.

"Oh, hello!" the Doctor waved.

"Didn't see you coming, mate. Just preparing gifts for Christmas here. Whenever the next one might come in the middle of a time anomaly..."

The bizarre looking mask smiled back at him blankly while the robot scanned him. Finally the machine stepped back and continued its way on the corridor.

"What, no 'Keep up the good work!'? Someone's getting a spoiled banana the next team building party!"

The Doctor also moved on. Walking past a room he heard a strange whimper.

He glanced inside. Machinery made up the walls as those of the other rooms, but in the back a tiny cell was enclosed by laser bars. He noticed a familiar face inside.

"Wilson??"

The Doctor hurried to the cell.

"What are you doing here? This makes no sense!"

The captive realized only then that he was not alone.

"Santa?? Don't hurt me please!"

Annoyed, the Doctor tore the fake beard from his face, and slipped it into his pocket alongside with his cap.

"I'm not a robot! How did you get here?"

"I don't know, I remember nothing!" Wilson stuttered while shaking. "Am I going to die?"

The Doctor watched silently, but then grabbed his screwdriver.

"Of course not!" he crouched down to sonic the footing where it shot out the laser. "I'll have you out in no time!"

But then from behind the time lord the sound of a different beam could be heard. The shot hit Wilson, who dropped dead.

The Doctor jumped up and turned to the newcomer furiously.

"That was completely unnecessary!"

"OBEY OR YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!"

Donna was hearing a distant chime getting closer. She opened her eyes.

The room... the control room shone with red light.

She sat up woozily on the chair, trying to grasp what was happening.

She pondered what she must have done to suffer a morning after like this, in the TARDIS, no less.

But wait... realization was starting to hit her. It was not a morning after, but the same day... caused by not even herself...

"That idiot!" she exclaimed.

She jumped up from the chair and rushed to the door. She turned the doorknob but to no avail. She kept trying both worried and annoyed that it was the second time the same door was shut in front of her in a single day...

Eventually she sighed hopelessly, leaning on the wooden structure.

Then a thought occurred.

She started slowly for the console.

"Let me out," she asked unsurely still doubting this could work.

The TARDIS kept its alarm going.

"The Doctor says you're a sentient being," Donna kept trying. "I know we've not really met yet, but as a time machine you should recognize me!"

The cloister bell was the only response.

"He'll need someone, like I've said. Or will say... Ah, it's complicated! But please let me go after him!"

The rhythmical sounds kept chiming on.

Donna sighed again helplessly, scolding her own self. How could she have fallen for the Doctor's ravings about the TARDIS? Impressive it may be, but it was still only a machine...

In that moment the lock clicked.

Donna tried the knob once more in disbelief. The door opened.

She smiled back at the console.

"Thanks! I owe you one!" she said even though she had no idea what exactly she could "owe" the time ship...

She carefully stepped out onto what looked like nothing. Even the bridge was gone by now, she was just hoping to find actual solid ground before leaving the TARDIS shield.

The random items still lay around, but most of them were useless in emergencies, or at least in Donna's eyes. Except one.

She unsurely lifted quite a big tool, some kind of futuristic gun.

She knew the Doctor, in the age they met, was not exactly keen on weapons... She wondered what it was doing there in the first place.

She would probably not even be able to use it, but it might come handy for a parley, she decided, and made her way towards the corridor relying on her memories.

The Doctor was surrounded by various looking figures. Some of them he recognized, like the cyberman, the silurian, or the zygon, but the blue skinned alien covered with teeth he did not remember meeting.

They stood around him moveless, but all were aiming some kind of a weapon at him.

Only the dalek was not nearby. It had its control arm pointing at an appliance looking like a pillar, with a time beetle on the top held by a force field. The beetle was much bigger than any of the previous ones. Between the bug and the dalek's arm beams of light were dancing around, the same colour as the force field.

When finished, the dalek moved to its captive.

"YOU ARE THE DOCTOR. BUT NOT THE DOCTOR THAT HAS BEEN EXPECTED."

The time lord rolled his eyes.

"Not you too! Well tough, no refunds! Instead let's talk about more pressing matters. You're no time clone, so what are you doing here?"

"I WILL BRING VICTORY FOR THE DALEKS AND DEFEAT THE TIME LORDS!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"You're not from the future, are you? You're from the past. From the Time War!"

"THE TIME LORDS AIMED TO EXTERMINATE ME WITH A TEMPORAL BLASTER, BUT DALEKS ARE SUPERIOR!"

"Yeah, yeah, everyone knows how you see your own disgusting species... But how did you really survive?"

The dalek made no sound this time.

"Last time I checked," the Doctor continued, "the only way to make it out alive from such a shot is being the part of a fixed point in time. But what's so special about you? Or is it rather your pet?" he motioned towards the time beetle.

"WHERE IS THE DOCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING THE MOST DALEKS?" his opponent demanded.

"GONE!" the time lord shot back. "But want a taste of him?!"

He removed a small grey gaming console out of his pocket.

"Just the push of one button - well, two A-s and one B - and I'll detonate the entire ship!"

The dalek monitored him for a few seconds.

"YOU WILL NOT COMMIT SUCH ACTION."

"Oh, is that a 'dare'?" the Doctor grinned darkly, with both determination and hatred in his eyes.

"YOU WILL NOT COMMIT SUCH ACTION, BECAUSE YOUR ASSOCIATE IS ON THE SHIP!"

The time lord furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?"

"YOUR ASSOCIATE IS ADVANCING TOWARDS US!"

"That's... impossible. I have no associates, I travel alone!"

"ONE OF THE UNITS DETECTED A HUMAN ON BOARD!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you my mummy?"

The blond boy wearing a gasmask asked Donna who eyed him surprised.

Finally the child repeated the question.

"Are you my mummy?"

"Oh, no, I'm not, sweetheart. But we'll find her, okay?" she replied making the boy start towards her.

"Why are you wearing that awful mask?"

"I want my mummy! Are you my mummy?" he echoed.

She stared at him in confusion.

"You can't see right in that thing, can you? Come on, I'll help you get it off," she reached a hand towards him.

"Don't touch him!"

The familiar voice came from behind Donna.

"Wilson??"

"How do you know my name?" the engineer asked.

"We're almost at '50 First Dates," Donna sighed.

"Are you my mummy?" the boy repeated.

"Look," Wilson said, "that kid is not real!"

"What?" Donna asked.

"Whenever he appears he is soon followed by robots! I bet they are on their way now!"

Donna glanced at Wilson and the boy unsurely.

"Are you my mummy? I want my mummy!" the child asked on a heartbreaking voice.

"How do I know that **_you_** are real? You keep disappearing every time!" she pointed out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't..."

"Look out!"

Donna turned back to see that the boy's form started flickering, as if it was just a faulty TV broadcast. His appearance fluctuated between his original one and that of a robot's. Finally the body settled in a thick, tapered armor, with two arms, one of them reminding Donna to a toilet pump.

"Are you my mummy?" the creature asked on a twisted, mechanical voice.

Donna almost found the situation funny but then noticed that the end of the other arm that still aimed towards her shone more and more brightly...

She dodged the shot in the last second.

"This way!" Wilson exclaimed and ran for it. Donna followed. From the distance she could hear the alien after a relatively long time repeat the question and shoot again.

As they advanced on the corridors Donna was just about to ask Wilson if he knew here he was going at all. But then she spotted a stain on his back... No, it was not a stain, she realized when she got closer, it was a bug... one of the time beetles as the Doctor called them.

After they took a sharp turn they halted.

"I think we've lost him," said Wilson.

"Then turn around!"

"What? Why??"

She did not wait but grabbed the engineer's shoulder and turned him around herself.

"You have a bug on your back."

"A what??"

"It's okay, I know what to do with it!"

The beetle was completely affixed on his back. Donna wondered if it had looked the same on the Doctor if she had let it, and it made her sick.

She neared the spoon carefully to move it under the creature. To her surprise, all she had to do was touch it. The beetle fell down and tried to flee.

"Oh, no you don't!"

She smacked on the escaping bug, making it drop on the floor with its legs spread out.

"It's incredible that such a small thing can cause so much damage!" Donna said surprised.

„That thing was on my back??"

„I wonder what he'd do with it."

„Who?"

Donna did not reply. She was too busy feeling sick when she figured out the answer to her own question. It wasn't nearly the first bug she saw that day, but the fact that it had been stuck on Wilson of all people made it look more important. Disgusted, she picked the time beetle up and slipped it into her pocket. Wilson stared at her.

„Listen," Donna said eventually, „I have a friend on this ship, we need to find him."

„I... I've seen someone being escorted away..."

„Where?"

„I'm not going there! It's full off all these shooty things!"

„My friend is the only one who can get us out of here!"

„But they got him!"

„Oh come on," she flipped her hand, „he always does that. Gets captured to find out the plans of his enemies."

Wilson buried his face into his palms.

„Why is this happening?? We were just on my way home and then suddenly I was here!"

Donna shot him an odd look. What she had seen of the engineer in the mall seemed entirely different.

Then something occurred to her.

„On the way home... with Rose?"

„What? No," said Wilson surprised. „We were going to start playing the lottery. The prize is a large sum now, you know... But I changed my mind in the end."

„Oh, those tickets were yours then!"

„But how... Ah, what does it matter. I just want to go home!"

Patience running out Donna grabbed the engineer's arm and pulled him up from the ground.

„So show the way!"

„But..." he started but Donna slapped him on the face.

„Pull yourself together!"

He looked at her timidly.

„Okay..."

They were finally making their way amongst the metal walls when the ship shook again, making Donna slip and almost lose her balance, but she managed to hold on to... something cold. Surprised, she realized it was an icicle.

The corridor was frozen, as if they had ended up in the cold-room of the ship.

Annoyed, Donna wondered why the Doctor couldn't at least sometimes go to a beach...

„Your friend has to be in there," Wilson pointed at an entrance that was blocked by ice.

„But it hasn't been frozen before..."

„Maybe we can get inside with this," Donna lifted the gun.

„What?? You're not going to..."

„Of course I am! I just wish I knew how to turn it on..."

„The... red button. It's always the red button..."

Donna stepped back from the wall.

„Then by three... One... Two... Three!" she pressed the red button.

The device emitted a steady, buzzing sound. Wherever it reached the ice the latter simply vanished.

Donna was about to comment on how it was not so bad after all, but realized she was alone again. 

She took a deep breath. Determined she stepped inside the room.

The time lord stood in front of her surrounded by guards. Donna wasn't sure what to aim at, so chose the machine that emited the brightest light... and had a giant time beetle on the top.

„Let the the Doctor go, or I'll make... this thing disappear!"

„Cease your action or you will be exterminated!" a new robot with a „toilet pump" threatened.

„I'm not joking! I'll wreck this gizmo. I'm good at that!"

Two guards started towards her.

„Halt! Do not approach the human. Human, obey!" the robot insisted, but the guards did not seem to listen.

„I'm serious!" Donna repeated while lifting her weapon.

The guards were within arm's reach now.

„Donna, don't!" she heard the Doctor's voice, but the momentary excitement made her press the button.

The device emitted its buzzing sound but nothing else happened.

Finally the guards tore the item from her and grabbed her on the shoulder,

„Hey! Let me go this instant!" she protested with no use.

With his head lowered the Doctor waited motionless till they dragged her next to him.

„You should have stayed in the TARDIS," he said sternly.

She watched him for a while, then replied.

„I know you are against guns, but..."

The time lord glanced up.

„No, I..." he looked at her surprised „That's not it!" he said eventually.

„What is it then?" she asked confused.

„I thought it was obvious! I can regenerate to survive, you can not!" the time lord scolded her.

Donna could hardly believe her ears.

„That's it?!"

„Isn't it enough?!"

„Of course it isn't!" she snapped, „ _Oh look,_ " she teased „ _I'm a Spaceman with super Spaceman powers! I can decide for anyone how much risk they are willing to take!_ Well not for me, pal! I don't care whatever timey... wimey stuff you're getting yourself into I'm not abandoning you in trouble just because I can't grow new hands, legs or head!"

Taken aback, the Doctor waited till Donna finished.

„Timey... wimey..." he repeated the words with eyebrows furrowed. „Wibbly wobbly?" he asked eventually smiling.

„If you like!" she snapped but then returned the smile.

Meanwhile the robot finished scanning the beetle and moved in front of Donna.

„You are not the associate responsible for destroying the most daleks."

„Hm.. Not the Doctor you wanted, not the „associate" you wanted... Not really your day, is it?" the time lord said. „Wait... what destruction are you talking about?"

„I have extracted the information from the time beetle that close to this point on the Doctor's timeline an entire dalek fleet would be exterminated!

„So it's not just your recognition unit that got damaged then," the time lord replied cinycally, „Who would even do such a thing?"

„Rose Tyler."

„What?" the time lord looked at Donna confused.

„I know nothing about that," she admitted, even though she felt she should have.

„A human," the dalek continued, „that became a force of destruction because of the Doctor! The Time War will reach you once more, time lord!"

The Doctor pondered about what's been said. The dalek's answers raised only more questions in him, but he chose the most urgent one.

„If you picked such precise info from the beetle, why did you send so many other ones? Why wasn't one enough?

The dalek remained silent.

„You did only send one..." the Doctor realized. "Nature overcame the tinkering and used it completely to its own advantage! It could be fantastic... Only this caused dozens of time anomalies!"

„But the fixed point remains unchanged!" the dalek exclaimed sounding victorious.

The Doctor didn't reply. He shot a regretting glance at Donna, and lowered his head.

„What is it, what is it talking about?" she asked.

„The Doctor lies!" the dalek said.

„I did not lie!"

„Nor did you tell the truth!"

„Doctor??" she demanded.

„Sometimes in the future that beetle is going to feed of your own timeline. And there is nothing I can do to prevent it. This is why the small ones did not attack you. They sensed their kin. And that is why you were thrown back into the past."

Donna looked at the giant time beetle.

„But... I thought..." she muttered but the dalek interrupted her.

„The carrier will carry the beetle now. If there are no other orders."

„Orders?"

The Doctor would have questioned it more but the form of the guards around them started to change. The formerly various looking creatures were all becoming daleks.

„Well isn't this a happy reunion," the Doctor grumbled.

„What's going on?" Donna asked.

„The universe is trying to adapt to the changed timeline. Say hello to the un-destroyed fleet. One problem though..."

The dalek moved in front of its kin.

„I report I have captured the Doctor. I'm awaiting orders!"

Members of the fleet moved around in a disoriented manner. They turned their eye-stalks all around, as if trying to grasp where they were.

Finally one of them spoke.

„Moisturize... me..."

„Repeat order!" the dalek demanded.

„Moisturize me!"

„Say something nice!" another one said, while a third one chanted „Sontar HA!"

The dalek moved back.

„There are too many time anomalies, the universe can simply not adapt," the Doctor explained.

„Your precious fleet will never be real daleks. They are infected by the traits of the time clones!"

The cacophony got louder and louder as the creatures were only repeating the few words they were able.

„Delete!"

„Sco bo tro no flo jo ko fo to to..."

„Tick tock, goes the clock..."

The dalek kept looking at all the strange creatures around but eventually it stopped.

„Impure daleks are not daleks!" it shouted. Its laser arm started to shine with light.

„Run!"

The Doctor turned around and pushing Donna in front of him they made a break for it, while the dalek burst into a mad shooting all around.

Although they weren't the targets this time, a runaway beam still hit the Doctor's coat on the side.

They hid behind a large machine.

The time lord gazed at the gaping hole on his coat with a frown.

„Oh, just when I've started to really like it!" he lamented.

Donna watched him silently then eventually asked:

„I don't see why the other weapon didn't work."

„Donna, your "weapon" was a hair dryer."

"What??"

"To alien eyes it may look like a menacing gun, but it's only good for a bluff. Some species just have much thicker fur than either of ours, you know."

„But the block of ice..." Donna was going to say, but did not finish.

Eventually she burst out laughing. Her sudden mirth spread to the Doctor as well.

A shot flying barely above their hiding spot brought them back to the present.

„Doctor, how do we get out?"

„I have a plan. Just need to cut off the temporal energy that's filling the entire ship, so the TARDIS can materialize here. But if I set off the bombs..."

„Doctor!"

„What?"

„Is there a way out without explosions?"

The time lord peaked out from behind the machine, thinking.

„Could be, but I'd need another beetle for that."

Donna reached into her pocket and produced the creature she had removed from Wilson's back.

„Like this?"

The Doctor stared at her surprised. He took the bug to give it a closer look.

„Donna Noble. I can see how you'll be the one that saves the world one day," he praised.

„Oh come on," Donna flipped her hand „I'm sure it will be you or this Rose."

The time lord glanced up in dismay, but then an enormous clash came from behind them.

The instrument that had been covering them started throwing sparks all around it.

„Come on!"

Carefully but speedily they started for the beetle. The fleet was almost completely destroyed at that point. The ceiling and floor both had gaping holes on them giving away the other levels of the ship.

They almost made it to the pillar when the ground shook, and suddenly the entire ship got turned at least 60 degrees. A huge piece of the wall was torn just below them.

The Doctor grabbed on the pillar. With his other hand he reached for Donna but the vacuum seemed stronger...

"NO!" he shouted in despair as his companion was drifting towards space.

But then a bit of what must have been torn from the ceiling fell on the gap sealing it momentarily. In the last moment Donna grabbed the Doctor's ankle – making her slam against the floor.

„Every time..." she grumbled.

Completely unaffected by the changing pressure the dalek flew to them.

"Give up, Doctor! Or your associate will be exterminated!"

The time lord shot a loathing glance at his opponent.

"Fine," he sighed.

"Doctor!" said Donna shocked, but the time lord went on.

"Just don't hurt her!"


	8. Chapter 8

Donna watched concerned the Doctor reach into his pocket.

"I'll throw away my screwdriver."

The small gadget plummeted below.

"I'll throw away my last beetle..."

He picked up the bug he had gotten from Donna and hurled it away.

The creature bounced off a pipe hanging from the cracked wall, the remains of an instrument and then across a piece that was barely clinging to the ceiling it fell right into the force field holding the original time beetle.

"Oh, show off!" Donna noted. She could not see the Doctor's face but she was sure he was grinning.

The next moment blue beams of light spread across the entire ship, not leaving anything but darkness around them...

The next time Donna opened her eyes, she was sitting in the TARDIS.

The Doctor smiled at her from behind the console.

"Ah, good morning!"

"I thought you were not supposed to blow up the ship?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Well I didn't!" the Doctor said indignantly. "I only reversed the information flux between the two beetles, which caused a turbulence and..."

"Okay, I'll just pretend I understand that... Why are we still here?"

"The first time anomaly was caused by an event that got changed. We have to set the event back."

"Won't it be problematic that you threw away your sonic?"

The Doctor produced his screwdriver and turned it on.

„But... I've seen it!" Donna said surprised.

„You saw a different one, from my future. I couldn't have kept it anyway," he admitted sadly.

"The real issue is," he pointed at the lottery ticket laying in front of him, "that a number is still missing from the sequence."

"Oh, no spaceman genius can figure out human superstition, can it?" she teased. "Let me see!"

She picked up the sheet and quickly put it back on the console.

"It's number nine."

The Doctor smiled and put the mark on the paper.

"All that needs to be done now is taking the ticket where it should have to be by now... and then we can go for the 4th of March.

The date reminded Donna.

"What of Wilson?"

"He knew the time of his death. That wouldn't be possible unless it was really going to happen," he replied sadly. "I couldn't prevent that either," he added lowering his head with guilt.

Donna put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I know there are rules you just can't break. But when it really matters I'm sure you make the right decisions."  
As a response the Doctor looked up and pulled her into a tight hug.

Donna was a bit taken aback by the reaction, but then she returned it.

"You've been alone for long, haven't you?"

Once the time lord let her go she grabbed the alien outfit. Although she wouldn't exactly call it her own, the thought made her smile that this time Rose may have found her stuff on board.

Leaving the TARDIS she looked back one last time.

"I'm sorry that I'll forget meeting you."

Again, the Doctor shot his sudden glance at her, as if she had said something shocking. But then he answered with confidence.

"If I've calculated right, and I usually do, my future self should be here for you any minute."

"No, wise guy," Donna rolled her eyes smiling, "I meant exactly you."

"Oh, I'm the past for you, Donna. Look into the future instead. And don't forget, you are fantastic! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise – not even yourself!"

She did not reply just waited as the Doctor closed the TARDIS door and the familiar sound could be heard...

In the Doctor's mind the events of the past few hours already started diminishing, when he made his way up in one of the buildings of the Powell estate in the silence of the night. He put the Santa outfit back on, on the off chance should anyone see him before they were supposed to.

He would just sneak in, leave the ticket in an obvious place, he thought, while buzzing the sonic at the doorknob.

The lock clicked. But to his surprise the door was opened as well.

A no less astonished blond woman stood before him, wearing a pink bathrobe and holding a steaming cup. The time lord had no idea who she might be, but suddenly his face tingled with pain...

"Merry Christmas!" he said eventually but in that moment his fake beard slipped aside.

"It's February..." was all the response she managed.

"What, already? Ah, those awful traffic jams... Anyway, I have a gift from Wilson to Rose Tyler" he said and handed her the ticket.

"Night!" he turned and rushed down the stairs.

"Hey, wait!"

Jackie Tyler shouted after the strangest looking Santa she had ever seen, but to no avail.

Confused she closed the door and leaning on it she tried to make sense of the last seconds.

She looked at the lottery ticket.

She had played more combinations, but this one looked new. She had some strange, but positive feeling about it, and decided to talk Rose into playing afterall, the ticket was for her...

The Doctor was standing at the console worried. He didn't know what exactly was bothering him, aside from the fact that he was picking up more and more human habits. And not even practical ones. Being upset about a phantom issue... Who would do that?!

Despite of that he couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right...

Then the TARDIS door opened and a familiar figure appeared holding two paper bags.

"Rose!"

He rushed towards the girl and lifted her into a hug.

"Doctor??" she said confused trying to keep her packages safe from the sudden reaction. 

"I figured you might be very hungry – I mean who would even stop at kronkburger place called "Bad Wolf" – but this much?"

"Oh, right! Fantastic!"

The time lord grabbed one the bags and started opening it on the console.

Rose gave him a weirded out look.

"Everything all right?" she asked.

"Of course. It's just good to see you again," the Doctor shrugged simply.

Rose laughed.

"Why, have you expected someone different?"

"Different?" the time lord raised an eyebrow. 

"No, just a lovely companion!"

Rose still didn't quite get the time lord's behaviour but she shrugged it off as it wasn't the first time for that to happen... and it probably wasn't the last time either.

In a different spot in time and space the TARDIS door also opened, allowing a rather strangely dressed Donna Noble inside.

„There you are!" the Doctor cheered.

„How does planet Chiropteron sound as for the next stop? There is a comet in every millennia, that..."

The time lord fell silent, watching his companion slowly walk towards the console and remove her headband.

„Are you all right?"

„What? Oh yes, of course. I just feel so tired all of the sudden."

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows.

"You're weird... And that's okay, I like good-weird..."

He produced the sonic screwdriver and started buzzing it around her. Donna sighed but then burst out laughing.

„...but this is weird-weird."

„You're one to talk," Donna flipped her hand and threw herself into a chair.

„I don't know, Spaceman... Maybe the past weeks are finally taking their toll. Could we leave your comet for later?"

"Well, I don't know, Donna, in order to postpone watching an event that occurs once in a thousand years you'd need a time machine... Oh, wait!" the Doctor teased and then moved to the console.

"All right then... one tired companion who needs a rest, hmm... how about the leisure planet of Midnight?"


End file.
